Making Bricks without Straw

Story: Making Bricks Without Straw

Passage: Exodus 5

Characters:  Moses, Israel, Pharaoh

Summary:  Moses and Aaron asked Pharaoh to let them sacrifice in the desert for three days.  Pharaoh did not acknowledge God and denied their request.  They asked again and Pharaoh refused again.  Pharaoh then told the Egyptian foremen to no longer give the Hebrews straw to make bricks, but to require the same quota of bricks.  The Israelites struggled and were could not meet the demands.  When they complained to Pharaoh he blamed Moses so the Israelites blamed Moses.  Moses asked why God ever sent him.  He blamed God for not delivering His people.

Notes:  Moses was feeling good after the favorable reaction of his fellow Hebrews.  He went to Pharaoh with Aaron and told him that God had commanded Pharaoh to let the people go worship in the desert.  Pharaoh was probably suspicious of the Israelites motives.  He also was not willing to submit to this God.  Remember, in Egypt, Pharaoh was a god.  Who was this Hebrew God that would allow Him to tell Pharaoh what to do?  Moses tries again, but once again he is rejected. Pharaoh did not want to lose this huge workforce he had created.  To teach Moses a lesson, he made the workload essentially impossible for the Israelites.  They were given no straw but expected to make the same number of bricks.  If they failed, they were beaten.  The burden on the Israelites became so great that they personally complained to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh told them that they were lazy and wanted a break.  Interestingly, Moses and Aaron were not in this meeting, but were waiting outside.  The people knew very well that Moses and Aaron were the reason for the greater workload.  They blamed Moses and Aaron and asked the Lord to judge them.  Moses was desperate.  He told God that He was not delivering His people and that He had done evil to his people.  He asked God why he was sent in the first place.  Moses had trouble listening to God.  God said that the Israelites would believe him, but Moses doubted that.  God told him that Pharaoh would not believe, but Moses was discouraged and ready to give up when Pharaoh rejected their request.  God had told Moses everything he had to know but once things were tough, Moses was ready to give up.

Questions:  Did Pharaoh know that the Israelites were going to try to escape?  Why were Moses and Aaron not in the second meeting with Pharaoh?  Was this Pharaoh related to Moses?  Did they know each other growing up?  If so, who was older? If they were siblings, could there have been jealousy that Moses was on his brother Aaron’s side instead of his own?

Lessons:  In this passage, we see that what God said would happen happened even if it was a bad thing.  We need to learn to trust God is in control even when things don’t make sense and don’t seem to be going ours or God’s way.  God is in control and He is controlling the situation so that He is brought glory!

Moses Returns to Egypt

Story: Moses Returns to Egypt

Passage: Exodus 4:18-31

Characters:  Moses, Zipporah, God, Aaron, Israel’s elders

Summary: Moses asked Jethro to let him return to Egypt and Jethro agreed.  God warned Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart, but He still wanted Moses to do the signs in front of him. On their way to Egypt, God tried to kill Moses, but his wife circumcised their son and God let him live.  God told Aaron to meet Moses and Moses told Aaron what had happened.  They went before the elders of Israel and Aaron spoke the words God had given Moses and did the signs and the Israelites worshipped God for remembering them in their trouble.

Notes:  At this point, Moses had more than one son.  Moses remembered to take his staff with him to Egypt.  It is called the staff of God because it would be used to do the signs God had given Moses to do.  God’s warning to Moses is interesting.  God knew that His signs and words would be ineffective but He still wanted Moses to obey Him.  Moses was given a task that would not accomplish anything and he was told such up front.  This is the first time God predicts His killing the firstborn children of Egypt.  The reason given here is that Israel is God’s firstborn and since Pharaoh wouldn’t let them go, He would kill all of Egypt’s firstborn.  This implies that there were going to be others born to God.  Even here in Exodus, we can see hints of God’s plan to redeem the entire world.  Israel was not to be the only nation of God, but the firstborn.  I am not really sure why god wanted to put Moses to death, but I imagine it had to do with not circumcising his son.  It is interesting that Zipporah did this.  Moses was apparently incapable of circumcising his son and it was left to his wife, who was not even Hebrew, to keep their covenant of separation with God.  Zipporah seems to have been bitter towards Moses as a result of this incident.  Maybe she was just now realizing the seriousness of God’s call on their family.  Aaron met Moses, just as God had told him he would.  Moses filled Aaron in and they both gathered the leaders of Israel.  Aaron seems to have accepted Moses’ story with no problems.  The people listened and believed Moses and worshipped God.  As God had promised, the people believed Moses. 

Questions:  Why did God want to kill Moses?  Why did his wife have to perform the circumcision?  How old was his son at this point? Why was his wife bitter towards him?  Did Moses’ father-in-law know why Moses was returning to Egypt?  Did the people reject Moses at first?  What was Aaron’s reaction to his brother’s story?

Lessons:  In this passage we see God keeping his promises to Moses.  We also see his justice as he tries to kill Moses for not obeying Him.  He had big plans for Moses and Moses could not afford to stray from God’s plan.  We need to remember that God is Holy and Just.  In the presence of a Holy God, we deserve to die instantly.  We need to keep this in mind constantly rather than take it for granted.  If we keep an accurate perspective of God, it is much easier to walk with Him.

Moses Given Powerful Signs

Story: Moses Given Powerful signs

Passage: Exodus 4:1-17

Characters:  Moses, God, random snake

Summary: Moses questions God’s plan.  Moses wants to know what to do if the people don’t believe him.  God gives him three miraculous signs to use if the people don’t believe Him and promises to be with him.  Moses then complained that he was not a good speaker.  God reminded him that He had created the mouth and Moses would be fine.  Moses then asked God to send someone else and God got angry and told him that Aaron would help him.

Notes:  Moses was a coward.  In the previous chapter, God very clearly stated that the people would listen to him, but Moses didn’t believe it and he wanted a backup plan.  God listened to Moses and gave him three signs.  His staff would become a snake, his hand would become leprous, and water would become blood.  The first two signs involved something being restored which is cool since God is trying to restore His people to their land.  I find it hilarious that God asked Moses what he was holding.  Of course it was a staff!  But God wanted to make sure Moses was fully aware of what God was about to do.  When he sees the snake, he runs from it.  Apparently, Moses had a fear of snakes as well.  God told him to do something that no one with a fear of snakes wants to do.   Grab it by the tail.  If you know much about snakes, you know that grabbing a snake by the tail is a good way to get bit.  To his credit, Moses obeyed and the snake turned back into a staff.  Now that God had covered how to make the people believe, Moses moves to his next excuse.  He is slow of speech and slow of tongue.  In the words of Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, “For a man who was slow of speech and slow of tongue, he talked a lot!”  Anyway, God reminded him that He would be with Moses’ mouth and teach it what to speak.  Now Moses had just been told by a fiery bush that he was supposed to go to Pharaoh and be the leader of God’s restoration and deliverance.  God would work wonders through him and would be in his mouth teaching his mouth what to say.  Moses had to do very little but be in the right place at the right time.  Yet his next question is “Can’t you send someone else?”  At this point God got angry with Moses.  Moses was not being humble here, he was being distrustful of God’s words.  God even obliged Moses here though by supplying Aaron.  I find it cool that the relationship between Moses and Aaron was supposed to be the same as between God and Moses.  Moses would give Aaron the words to say in the same way God was going to give Moses words to say.  God finished the conversation by making sure Moses had his staff.  Overall, this was not a high point in Moses’ life, but it does really encourage me!  I will talk more about that in the lessons though. 

Questions:  Why could Moses not trust God?  Why did God not get impatient with Moses earlier?  Why did God choose these three signs?  Why was Aaron on his way to meet Moses?

Lessons:  This is an encouraging story for me because it shows that as many times as we reject God and try to do things our own way, He is still willing to use us.  Moses obviously did not trust God very much, but God still used him in amazing ways over his life.  I find it interesting as well that Moses was allowed to question why we was chosen for this task.  God had no issue with that.  Moses realized his human flaws.  God wants us to know we are useless.  Moses went wrong when God told him how He would fill Moses’ imperfections and Moses did not believe Him.  It is okay for us to realize we are weak and inadequate, but if we assume that God cannot compensate for our inadequacies, we are very wrong and in a dangerous spot.  Yes we are weak, but in our weakness, He is made strong.

The Burning Bush

Story: The Burning Bush

Passage: Exodus 3

Characters:  Moses, God

Summary: Moses was watching his father-in-law’s flocks and he saw a bush burning but not burning up.  He went to investigate and God spoke to him from the bush.  God told him to go to Egypt and God would deliver his people from Egypt through him.  Moses did not think he was adequate but God encouraged Him.  God revealed His name as I Am.  God also predicted that Pharaoh would not let them go until God did wonders in Egypt.

Notes: Apparently a bush on fire was not that unusual to Moses, but a burning bush that was not consumed was!  I find it interesting that God began calling to Moses once He knew Moses had turned to investigate.  If Moses had ignored the bush, who knows what would have happened.  God’s first two commands to Moses here are interesting. First, Moses was to not come near.  God may have called Moses by name and would have a very close intimate relationship with Moses over his life, but Moses was still separate enough from God that God told him to keep his distance.  Even as personal as God is with us, His holiness demands separation between us and Him.  Second, Moses was to remove his shoes.  This was an act of humility and served to emphasize God’s authority.  God then identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  This tied God into the covenant He had made with these men.  Moses reacted the way anyone should when we encounter a holy God; he hid his face.  The thought of seeing this God who was speaking to him overwhelmed him.  I notice that God made no effort to reassure Moses here.  He just continues His message.  God begins by stating that He has seen Israel’s afflictions and has come to deliver them to the Promised Land.  I find it interesting that God specifically named the people groups in the Promised Land.   The Israelites should not have been discouraged later that these people were living in the land.  God knew from the beginning that the land was occupied.  After making this statement, God drops the real shocker.  He lets Moses know that He wants him to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go.  Moses gave an answer that showed humility, but in reality, I suspect his answer came from fear.  I love how God said “come, I will send you to Pharaoh.”  His wording implied an urgency.  It was as if He said, I want to save Israel.  Are you ready yet?  Moses was not ready.  Moses did not want to go to the country where he was wanted by the oppressors and disrespected by the oppressed.  God promised to be with him and told him he would survive to serve god on the very mountain he was on.  God addressed Moses’ fear for his life.  Moses then came up with a possible scenario where he would get stuck.  What was God’s name?  God revealed that He wanted to be known as I Am.  The passage states that He wants to be known as that for all generations.  That includes us.  Does God exist?  Well His name is I Am so it would appear that His existence is stated in his name.  God then reiterated his plan for deliverance.  This time, God said that the elders of Israel would go with Moses to Pharaoh and that they would listen to him.  God warned that it would take some signs and wonders to convince Pharaoh to let them go, but that in the end, they would leave, and they would plunder the Egyptians on their way out.  This is a pivotal passage in scripture because it is the moment when God reveals Himself to Moses and makes His plan to deliver His people known.  I find it interesting that Moses could be so moved by the holiness of God that he hides his face, but he still couldn’t trust what this God was saying.

Questions:  Why did God choose to speak through a burning bush?  Did Moses have an idea of why God was speaking to him before God revealed his plan for Moses?  Did Moses trust God at all? Why did God choose Moses?  He is a fearful murderer turned shepherd with royal ties to the oppressors he is being sent against.

Lessons:  God’s holiness is powerful.  It got Moses’ attention and he covered his face.  Even though it might have appeared that God had forgotten Israel, He always had a plan and now he is powerfully putting it into place.  When we are faced with times where we don’t see God, we can trust that He has a plan to deliver you and He is still powerful and will show His power in delivering you.

Moses Flees to Midian

Story: Moses Flees to Midian

Passage: Exodus 2:11-25

Characters:  Moses, Zipporah

Summary:  Moses went to see the burden on his people.  He killed an Egyptian who was abusing a Hebrew.  Pharaoh heard and tried to kill him but Moses fled to Midian.  In Midian, Moses helped the daughters of Reuel by fighting off some shepherds and watering their flock.  Reuel gave him his daughter Zipporah as a wife and they had a son.  The people in Egypt cried out to God because their burden was so heavy and God heard and remembered his promise to them.

Notes: I always imagined Moses did not know he was a Hebrew until he was older, but this passage implies that he was fully aware of his heritage.  I also always pictured the murder to be accidental.  I thought he just went too far in trying to help his kinsman.  The passage implies that the murder was fully premeditated and intentional.  The passage says he looked both ways and when he saw no one was coming he killed the man and hid him in the sand.  Would God really use a murderer?  In Acts 7, Stephen reveals that Moses was already forty when this event happens and that his reason for defending the Hebrews was that he thought they would understand he was to be their deliverer.  His methods were not God's however and the Israelites rejected him.  I almost wonder if this action was designed to show the Israelites that soon he would be Pharaoh and he would take up their case and they could trust him.  If that was his goal, it didn't work.  The people took offense that he thought he had authority over them.  Ironically, he did have authority over them!  Moses ended up in Midian and I find it humorous that after saving the women, they seemingly left him at the well.  Reuel’s reaction is funny to me.  He was like where is he?  Why did you leave him?  Very few details are given about this period of time.  All the passage says is that Moses got married and had a son.  Reuel was a priest of Midian.  He was probably related in some way to Abraham.  Therefore it is possible that he was a priest of the true God.  Gershom means sojourner.  Moses knew that he was in a foreign land that was not his home.  This name foreshadowed the fact that Egypt was not Israel’s home either.  The passage then turns to three verses indicating a change in fortune for Israel.  God hears their cries and remembers His covenant with them.  This doesn’t mean He had forgotten, but rather that He knew it was time to begin delivering His people.  I think the final sentence in the chapter is very epic in ESV.  “God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.”  God did not want to deliver them because they deserved it, but rather because He had told them He would.  

Questions:  How long was Moses in Midian?  How did he earn Reuel’s favor? How long after he arrived did he have a son?  Did he want to return to Egypt?   

Lessons:  Moses was a murderer but God is planning on using him in a major way to deliver His people from bondage.  I also take comfort in the fact that even though His people were suffering, God had not forgotten His covenant with them and even as they were in slavery, He was preparing Moses to deliver them.   

The Birth of Moses

Story: The Birth of Mosees

Passage: Exodus 2:1-10

Characters:  Moses, Pharaoh’s Daughter, Miriam

Summary:  A Levite couple had a son.  They hid him for three months and then placed him in the nile river in a basket.  Pharoah’s daughter found the boy and she kept him.  She hired Moses’ mother to nurse him.  When he was old enough he became an Egyptian and Pharaoh’s daughter named him Moses.     

Notes: In Hebrews we read that Moses’ parents hid him for three months out of faith in God.  They knew God wanted them to hide him.  I wonder if they freaked out when they saw Pharaoh’s daughter find him.  I doubt they thought she would adopt him!  Technically, his parents obeyed and they did put him literally in the river!  God was in control the whole time.  Not only did Moses’ mother end up raising her son herself, but she also got paid, and she knew her son would not be oppressed like the rest of the Hebrews were.  God was very much at work in this passage.  He had big plans for Moses and His protection was on him from the beginning.  I wonder why Miriam’s name is not mentioned in this passage.  She is only referred to as his sister.  I also find it interesting that Moses lived with his family for three months and then for longer, but he was apparently nameless over that time.  It was Pharaoh’s daughter who named him.  She did not give him an Egyptian name though, she called him Moses which sounds like Hebrew for draw out.  I wonder if this Egyptian woman was actually friendly towards the Hebrews?  This would be very significant considering that Egypt’s borderline racist attitude towards outsiders had only become more violent after Joseph died. 

Questions:  Why did Moses get a Hebrew name?  What did Moses’ family think of these events?  Did Pharaoh’s daughter know that Moses’ mother was the one she hired to nurse him? 

Lessons:  God is in control.  God had big plans for Moses and he had a plan to protect his childhood.  When things feel messed up and confusing and all hope is lost, God has a plan and we still are a part of it and we need to take comfort in that fact.   

Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt, Pharaoh Oppresses Israel

Story: Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt, Pharaoh oppresses Israel

Passage: Exodus 1

Characters:  Pharaoh, Israel

Summary:  Jacob’s sons settled in Egypt and eventually all died.  Israel however thrived and grew.  The new Pharaoh did not know Joseph and he was intimidated by Israel’s strength.  He forced Israel into slavery.  He told the Hebrew midwives to kill all of the baby boys, but two of them refused and got away with it.  God gave them families to reward them.   

Notes: Egypt was filled with the Israelites.  God took Joseph’s adversity and used it to turn Israel into a great nation, theoretically devoted to Him and separate from the nations around them.  Pharaoh obviously saw Israel as a threat.  He saw them as a resource and he didn’t want to lose them, so he enslaved them.  Pharaoh’s order to the midwives was cruel, but I imagine many of the midwives obeyed.  To disobey was to most likely forfeit your life.  We are given the names of two of them however who were faithful to God.  Shiphrah and Puah were their names.  I feel like if your name is mentioned in the bible, you did something special.  I try not to glaze over names when they are mentioned.  I may not know their significance, but God does and I like thinking about it.  These two women disobeyed Pharaoh and then lied to him about why.  Apparently Pharaoh believed them.  Ultimately though, they were favored because of God and not Pharaoh.  The passage says that because they feared God, He gave them families.  This blessing is a direct result of their obedience to Him.  Pharaoh saw the Israelites continued to grow so he then commanded the entire nation to throw any son born to Israelites into the Nile.  Apparently, he decided that the midwives were not reliable but the people would obey him.  I imagine it would have been scary to be a Hebrew mother.  Any Egyptian you met was allowed to take your son from you.  I see no age limit on this and the fact that the order went out to the people in general implies they were targeting children old enough to be seen by the public.  It should be noted that while the midwives disobeyed and lied to Pharaoh, we are told in the Bible to obey those in authority over us.  We are caught in a dilemma though when our obedience to the government compromises our obedience to God.  Obviously the midwives’ actions were rewarded by God.  Unless your earthly authorities command you to directly disobey God, we are supposed to respect and obey those authorities. 

Questions:  How many midwives obeyed Pharaoh?  Did Pharaoh really believe the midwives?  When is it okay to disobey the government and lie? 

Lessons:  The midwives were not afraid to risk their lives to obey God and they were rewarded.  The rewards were not their motivation, but rather the result of their living their lives for the glory of God.  It is important for us to live our lives for the glory of God and not the blessings of God.  The ultimate reward we as Christians will receive is being able to fully experience the glory of God and worship Him for eternity.  Let’s not get caught up in Earthly blessings which are fleeting, but rather in the ultimate blessing we will receive from God.   

God's Good Purposes, The Death of Joseph

Story: God’s Good Purposes, the Death of Joseph

Passage: Genesis 50:15-26

Characters:  Joseph, Joseph’s brothers

Summary:  Joseph’s brothers were afraid Joseph would kill them now that his father dead.  They told him that Jacob told them to ask for forgiveness.  They begged for forgiveness and offered to be his servants.  He told them he had forgiven them and God had used their evil for good.  He let them know he would provide for them and their families.  Joseph died, but he lived long enough to see his great grandchildren. 

Notes: The brothers were right to be afraid.  They knew they had no reason to ask for mercy so they made it sound like their father had asked for their mercy.  They seem to have truly been humble and repentant.  Joseph wept when they spoke to him.  He was overwhelmed with love for his brothers and was probably frustrated that they didn’t trust him.  He was well aware that he was not God and it was not his job to exact justice.  That is God’s job.  He recognized that God had worked through the bad situation his brothers had put him in.  He comforted them and spoke kindly to them. They certainly did not deserve this treatment from him, but Joseph showed his humility and focus on God and on the bigger picture.  Joseph lived long enough to see his great grandchildrem.  When he died, he asked to be buried in the Promised Land.  Joseph also understood that Egypt was only a temporary home.  He was also embalmed by the Egyptians.  He wanted to make sure his family understood that Egypt was not their home.  With this, The story of the Patriarchs dies.  When we rejoin the story, many years will have passed and God will begin another redemptive work.    

Questions:  Is Joseph’s body still preserved as a mummy somewhere in Israel?  When did Jacob make the connection that Joseph had been sold by his brothers to Egypt?  It was never mentioned what his reaction was.  Did he forgive them as quickly as Joseph did?  Why exactly did Joseph weep when his brothers asked for forgiveness?

Lessons:  Forgiveness is modeled here almost perfectly.  Joseph did not need to provide for his brothers.  He had been wronged and the just thing to do was punish them.  Instead he forgave them.  And that doesn’t mean he only ignored their offense, but instead he basically rewarded them.  He provided for them.  Forgiveness is not simply forgetting the wrong, but it involves a total reversal of attitude towards the forgiven. 

Jacob's Death and Burial

Story: Jacob’s Death and Burial

Passage: Genesis 49:28-50:14

Characters:  Jacob, Joseph

Summary:  Jacob requested to be buried in the same field as Abraham.  He then died.  Joseph had him embalmed and Egypt mourned for him.  Pharaoh let Joseph and his family take Jacob to Canaan to bury him.  The family returned to Egypt.

Notes: Jacob knew he was a foreigner in Egypt.  He wanted to be buried in Canaan.  When he died, Joseph fell on him weeping.  It is obvious that the bond between Joseph and his father was something special.  Joseph was greatly grieved when his father died.  Jacob was obviously well respected in Egypt.  The entire nation mourned his death.  It is interesting that Joseph had the Egyptians embalm Jacob.  Basically, he was mummified.  Pharaoh allowed the entire family to bury Jacob in Canaan.  It is interesting to me that they came back.  I am under the impression that the famine is over at this point, but maybe it isn’t.  If it is, I wonder why they didn’t just stay in Canaan.  Maybe it was because of Joseph’s role of leadership there.  I find it interesting that Jacob chose to be buried in an obscure cave.  With the respect he had, he could have been buried in one of Egypt’s tombs.  Egypt is obviously known for their magnificent tombs.  This burial is very magnificent.  It is probably the largest burial mentioned in the Bible.  The Canaanites even renamed the place as a result of the grieving of the family.  This was a big deal.  A family who had had such obvious leaders had lost their leader.  Now the leadership was fairly evenly spread throughout the family. 

Questions:  Who took charge of the family?  If Jacob was mummified, is his body still out there today?  What made the burial so unusual that the Canaanites took notice? 

Lessons:  Jacob knew Egypt was not his home.  Throughout his life and even in his death, he showed that he knew he was from a different land: the Promised Land.  We are the same.  Our citizenship is in heaven.  Do we live and die like we believe that?  

Jacob Blesses His Sons

Story: Jacob Blesses His Sons

Passage: Genesis 49:1-27

Characters:  Jacob, his sons

Summary:  Jacob gathered his sons and blessed them.  In reality, he prophesied over all of them. 

Notes: Not all of these “blessings” were good.  This is the first time a human makes a prophecy in the Bible.  We have seen some sort of veiled prophecies, but this is the first time a person blatantly prophecies about the future.  Simeon was first.  As firstborn, he should have the biggest inheritance and blessing, Jacob begins by describing how he was excellent as firstborn, but he would not excel.  This was the result of him sleeping with his father’s wives.  Simeon and Levi were next.  They were identified as violent after the episode with their sister Dinah.  They would be scattered and divided.  Looking ahead in the story, both Simeon and Levi were divided, but it was a curse for Simeon and a blessing for Levi.  Simeon ended up being the smallest tribe and shared land with Judah.  Levi however never got land and served as priests throughout the land.  Either way, Jacob’s blessing came true.  Judah was told he would be a ruler.  Judah was probably freaking out after hearing his three older brothers’ blessings, but he was told he would be a ruler.  In fact, from the time of David until Christ, there was always someone from Judah in a leadership position.  Even Daniel was from the tribe of Judah.  When Israel finally lost all authority in the Roman Empire, Jesus had already been born.  So from the time of David until now, Judah has been a royal tribe in fulfillment of this prophecy.  Zebulun would dwell on the shore.  Issachar would be strong, but they would be servants.  Dan would be a judge.  Dan would also be a serpent.  They did indeed introduce idolatry into Israel.  They are left out of the list of tribes in Revelation 7, but they are included in Ezekiel.   Gad would be raided but they would fight back.  Asher would be rich and blessed.  Naphtali would have beautiful words.  Joseph had endured trials but God would continue to bless him abundantly.  Benjamin would be a ravenous wolf.  Benjamin was indeed a fierce tribe.  I could go into a lot more detail on these blessings, but I encourage you to look into them yourself.  Maybe as we read about the history of Israel we can refer back to these prophecies. 

Questions:  What did the brothers think of these blessings?  Were some offended with what they got?  Were they jealous of what others got? 

Lessons:  Here we see God’s redemptive nature in His plan for Judah and Levi, but we also see his justice in His plan for Reuben and Simeon.    God is both full of justice and grace.  It makes no sense to us, but it is possible for Him to have both.  

Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

Story: Jacob Blesses Ephraim and Manasseh

Passage: Genesis 48

Characters:  Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim, Manasseh

Summary:  Jacob got sick and was going to die.  He told Joseph that his sons were going to be included in his inheritance.  He wanted to bless Ephraim and Manasseh.  Joseph put Manasseh on Jacob’s right side and Ephraim on his left, but Jacob crossed his hands and put his right hand on Ephraim who was younger.  Joseph was upset but Jacob told him that Ephraim would be greater than Manasseh. 

Notes: At the end of Jacob’s life, he remembers when God appeared to him at Bethel and he repeats the words of God’s covenant to Joseph.  Jacob basically adopted Ephraim and Manasseh into his family on the same level as the first and second born.  This is possibly because as first and second born, Simeon and Levi had messed up.  Joseph shows incredible respect to his father.  His position did not diminish that.  The right hand in the Bible represented strength and favor.  Joseph tried to make sure his older son was the one who was blessed, but Jacob had other plans.  He deliberately crossed his arms.  Joseph was obviously frustrated.  I understand why, but in reality, he was ruler of Egypt and he was the second youngest in his family.  He was no stranger to birth order meaning very little to God.  Jacob says that God has been his shepherd his whole life.  This is the first reference to God as a shepherd and it shows that Jacob was not focused on what he had done for God, but rather on what God had done for him.  Jacob told Joseph that God would be with Him.  This was the biggest and most important lesson Jacob had learned over his life and we would be wise to pay attention.  After everything Jacob had seen and gone through, the thing he wanted Joseph to grasp was that God would be with Him.  This is also what Jesus tells us a couple thousand years later.   This is obviously an important point. 

Questions:  What did Joseph think about his father switching his hands?  Why did Jacob switch his hands?  What did Ephraim and Manasseh think of it?  Does Ephraim end up being stronger eventually?

Lessons:  When God will always be with us.  This sounds so normal we tend to speed over it.  But we need to stop and really meditate on the fact that God will be with us always.